Hungary’s prime minister said Friday that harsh criticism by billionaire George Soros is a “declaration of war.” Soros has accused Prime Minister Viktor Orban of running a corrupt “mafia state.”

Orban alleged that the Hungarian-American investor was paying “agent-like networks” of non-governmental organizations to enforce his policies, including the promotion of migration, in Europe and Hungary.

“This is a declaration of war,” Orban said on state radio. “We are facing a financial speculator who has made a lot of money while … plunging many into poverty.”

Orban was replying to Soros’ speech Thursday at the Brussels Economic Forum where he spoke about the challenges faced by the European Union, including conflicts over the rule of law in Poland and Hungary.

The article admits that the government, under the Hungarian Prime Minister, has put restrictions of foreign-funded organizations that work to change Hungary’s laws. Soros is upset that he can’t operate more freely in Hungary.

But nowhere does the article mention that Soros spoke of “hostile powers” who were causing the E.U. an “existential crisis.” Knowing he used such language makes it easier to understand why the Hungarian Prime Minister characterized Soros’ speech as a “declaration of war.”

About the author

Joe Scudder

Joe Scudder is the "nom de plume" (or "nom de guerre") of a fifty-ish-year-old writer and stroke survivor. He lives in St Louis with his wife and still-at-home children. He has been a freelance writer and occasional political activist since the early nineties. He describes his politics as Tolkienesque.